The Lemon Drop at Dupuy's is a cocktail made with vodka, lemon juice and sugar.

The Lemon Drop at Dupuy's is a cocktail made with vodka, lemon juice and sugar.

Photo: J.C. Reid

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Dupuy s Oyster Shop in Abbeville is an old-school seafood restaurant that serves both raw and roasted oysters.

Dupuy s Oyster Shop in Abbeville is an old-school seafood restaurant that serves both raw and roasted oysters.

Photo: J.C. Reid

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The Caldwell House bed and breakfast in Abbeville was built in 1907 and has spacious rooms with high ceilings.

The Caldwell House bed and breakfast in Abbeville was built in 1907 and has spacious rooms with high ceilings.

Photo: J.C. Reid

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The Caldwell House bed and breakfast in Abbeville was built in 1907 and has spacious rooms with high ceilings.

The Caldwell House bed and breakfast in Abbeville was built in 1907 and has spacious rooms with high ceilings.

Photo: J.C. Reid

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Cajun Claws is considered by most crawfish aficionados as the best crawfish in Louisiana. Cajun Claws is only open in crawfish season, is usually only open on weekends and takes no reservations.

Cajun Claws is considered by most crawfish aficionados as the best crawfish in Louisiana. Cajun Claws is only open in crawfish season, is usually only open on weekends and takes no reservations.

Photo: J.C. Reid

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In Abbeville, Richard s Meat Market makes an excellent boudin blanc.

In Abbeville, Richard s Meat Market makes an excellent boudin blanc.

Photo: J.C. Reid

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Just outside of Abbeville, Hebert s Slaughter House and Meat Market makes its own boudin rouge, or blood sausage.

Just outside of Abbeville, Hebert s Slaughter House and Meat Market makes its own boudin rouge, or blood sausage.

Photo: J.C. Reid

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Cajun Claws is considered by most crawfish aficionados as the best crawfish in Louisiana. Cajun Claws is only open in crawfish season, is usually only open on weekends and takes no reservations.

Cajun Claws is considered by most crawfish aficionados as the best crawfish in Louisiana. Cajun Claws is only open in crawfish season, is usually only open on weekends and takes no reservations.

Photo: J.C. Reid

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Steen's Pure Cane Syrup, the secret ingredient in the best pecan pies, is made in Abbeville.

Steen's Pure Cane Syrup, the secret ingredient in the best pecan pies, is made in Abbeville.

Photo: J.C. Reid

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Cajun Blenders is one of the drive-thru daiquiri stands that's popular in this part of Louisiana.

Cajun Blenders is one of the drive-thru daiquiri stands that's popular in this part of Louisiana.

Photo: J.C. Reid

Eating around Abbeville, the new crawfish capital of Louisiana

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ABBEVILLE, La. - If you're driving along the back roads of Southwest Louisiana in January or February, you might think the whole country has been hit by some kind of biblical flood. On each side of the road, as far as the eye can see, are lakes of muddy water. But a closer look reveals that these lakes are held in place by man-made dams. Men (and some women) in flat-bottom boats trawl along the surface picking up and emptying wire cages.

They are collecting crawfish, the delicious symbol of this area of Cajun country.

Weekend drives to Louisiana are a long-established tradition for Houstonians, who visit family, gamble in casinos, or just spend a weekend eating and sightseeing. And when it comes to eating, New Orleans and Lafayette are often main attractions. But in recent years, the small town of Abbeville, south of Lafayette, has gained ground as a foodie destination.

Credit the crawfish. This is crawfish farming country, and the restaurants and seafood shacks around the area only get the best mudbugs. Combine that with time-honored traditions for seasoning and boiling the bugs, and Abbeville is emerging as the crawfish capital of Louisiana.

More Information

If you go

The Caldwell House: Room rates are $115-$200 per night. 105 E. Vermillion, 337-281-0807, thecaldwell.com. Tip: Get some friends together and rent all the rooms at the Caldwell House as a group, to have the whole house to yourselves.

Cajun Claws: 1928 Charity, 337-893-9437, cajunclawscrawfish.com. Tip: Call the week before visiting to confirm Cajun Claws will be open that weekend. More than once, crawfish aficionados have shown up to find it closed due to a lack of crawfish.

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For a culinary weekend here, start with a proper base of operations. There aren't many hotels or even bed and breakfasts in Abbeville, but the Caldwell House stands out. Built in 1907 by Vernon Lee Caldwell, a local builder and civic leader, the bed and breakfast has five spacious rooms with high ceilings and updated amenities such as WiFi and renovated bathrooms.

On a recent weekend trip, the place's manager Carolyn Sagrera was at our beck and call, cooking breakfast and offering healthy portions of lagniappe. Most importantly, she recommended restaurants and made the necessary phone calls to get us in to places crowded mostly with locals.

Dupuy's Oyster Shop is a five minute walk from the Caldwell House, just off the town square. Joseph Dupuy, who caught and sold his own oysters for five cents a dozen, opened the joint in 1869. It's an old-school seafood restaurant with every type of oyster (raw or roasted, as well as a menu of fried and grilled specialties.

Start Friday off with a drink at Dupuy's bar while you wait for a table. The drink of choice here is the Lemon Drop, a cocktail made with vodka, lemon juice and sugar. For food, stick to the tried and true. The gumbo - in the Cajun style with a dark roux and lots of chicken and sausage - is some of the best I've tasted. Move on to the raw oysters (in season). The crab cakes are another delight, with a crispy fried outer casing that gives way to big chunks of jumbo lump crab meat.

Saturday mornings are best spent in search of the other traditional food of this part of Cajun country: boudin. This sausage made with rice, pork, and herbs and spices inspires fervent debate about which town, family or meat market makes the best. In Abbeville, Richard's (pronounced REE-shardz) makes an excellent boudin blanc. Just outside of town, Hebert's (AY-bears) Slaughter House and Meat Market makes its own boudin rouge, or blood sausage.

Saturday night is reserved for what might be called the "reason for the season" in these parts - a visit to Cajun Claws, considered by many crawfish aficionados to be the best crawfish spot in Louisiana. Cajun Claws only is open during crawfish season (late November to May), is usually only open on weekends, and takes no reservations. The procedure to get a coveted table here is as follows: Show up at 3-3:30 p.m. to get in line to put your name on the waiting list starting at 4 p.m. Doors open at 5 p.m. If you get in line early enough, you will probably get a table in this first seating at 5 p.m. Otherwise, you can wait in the bar for the second seating, a couple of hours later.

Lifestyle

We were confirmed for 5 p.m., so headed to the bar. I couldn't resist ordering the King Cake martini, a special sip that night. Made with a flavored vodka, it was overly sweet and draped in inedible Mardi Gras beads, but (amazingly) tasted just like a king cake. Once seated in the dining room, the crawfish came out in waves. The secret here is in the mudbugs, hand-picked from surrounding farms, and in the preparation - purged or cleaned for 48 hours, then simply boiled in water and a spice mix.

I've been to Cajun Claws several times, and can say the crawfish is the best I've ever had.

But don't stop there. The fried shrimp is some of the best on the Gulf Coast. And don't skip dessert of "Cajun profiteroles," or fried dough stuffed with ice cream and drizzled with locally produced Steen's Pure Cane Syrup.

Sundays in Abbeville are quiet and many places are closed. This is the ideal time to wind down your visit at the Caldwell House. After breakfast, spend an hour or so lounging on the porch in rocking chairs, drinking coffee and reading. It's a great way to prepare for the 31/2-hour drive back to Houston.